1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for taking out a photographic treatment composition from a container to clean the empty container when photographic treatment solution for use in an operation for processing silver-halide color photographic photosensitive material is prepared. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning a container filled with a photographic treatment composition such that handling and transportation easiness can be realized, apprehension that contact of the photographic treatment composition with the hand occurring when the photographic treatment composition is dissolved can be eliminated and the state of filling is realized to be adaptable to an automatic developing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a process of a silver-halide photographic photosensitive material, for example, a process of a silver-halide color photographic photosensitive material consists of steps for stabilizing an image including a color developing step, a step for removing silver and a cleaning step using water. In each step, solution (called “processing solution”) is used which contains one or more types of processing chemicals except for the cleaning step using water. Since each processing solution has a relatively low density, it is improper that manufacture of each solution in a state in which the solution can be used, transportation of the solutions to a processing laboratory and preservation of the same are performed. The reason for this lies in that reduction in the cost and preserving space cannot be realized and easy handling is not permitted. Therefore, so-called rich processing solution is usually delivered which is obtained by filling a container with rich solution arranged to be diluted with water so as to be used.
The process for raising the concentration of the photographic treatment solution in the uniform liquid phase encounters a limitation because of restraint of the solubility and reactions of components. Therefore, the volume and weight cannot satisfactorily be reduced. Hence it follows that a suggestion has been made that the photographic treatment composition is formed into powder, granules, tablets or slurry so as to reduce the volume and the weight.
Although the foregoing method is effective to reduce the volume and the weight, there arises a problem in that collapsed fine particles in the composition in the form of powder, granules, tablets or slurry and coagulated and solidified fine particles adhere to the inner surface of the container and remain on the foregoing surface. A portion of the components of a solid photographic treatment composition, such as the tablets or granules, firmly adheres to the inner surface of the container because of slight moisture adsorption. Thus, the portion cannot easily be removed. The foregoing portion raises a problem from viewpoints of environmental conservation, safety work and recycling of the containers.
It is preferable that the container for the photographic treatment composition is reused to effectively utilize the resources. To achieve the foregoing object, a method has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-220722 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-82988, the method having the steps of discharging the components from the container; and cleaning the inside portion of the container with water.
When the foregoing method is applied to the components in the form of powder, granules, tablets or slurry such that cleaning water is poured to the solid or slurry particles, local coagulation and solidification occur. Thus, a portion of the component remains in the container and, therefore, the portion cannot easily be discharged from the container. When the components is in the form of the slurry, the particles of the components are introduced into the container. Thus, the slurry components cannot easily be removed by cleaning using water.
When the form of the photographic treatment composition is changed from the rich composition solution in a uniform phase to the components in the form of powder, granules, tablets or slurry, the volume and the weight can be reduced. Thus, easy transportation and handling and cost reduction can be realized. However, the foregoing problems must be overcome.